Cuirim fáilte roimh gach éinne. Tá a lán cruinnithe, vótaí agus rudaí eile ar siúl. Rachfaimid ar aghaidh chomh tapaidh agus is féidir. Tá mé an-bhuíoch dos mo chomhghleacaithe a tháinig isteach go luath chun seans a thabhairt dúinn an cruinniú a thosnú. I warmly welcome everybody and thank them for coming. There is a great deal of activity this morning, including various meetings and votes. I think everybody is at full stretch. I apologise for the delay in getting the meeting started.
Apologies have been received from Senator Cecilia Keaveney; Lady Sylvia Hermon, MP, MLA; and Ms Michelle Gildernew, MP, MLA. On behalf of everybody here, I warmly congratulate Ms Gildernew and her husband on the recent birth of their baby girl, Aoise. I wish Mammy, Daddy and child every success. Before we commence, I would like on behalf of the joint committee, to express my sympathy and condolence to the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, Mr. Martin McGuinness, MP, MLA, on the recent death of his mother, Peggy. Ar dheis lámh Dé go raibh a hanam.
I remind members and those in the public gallery to ensure their mobile phones are switched off completely for the duration of this meeting, as they cause interference, even when on silent mode, with the recording equipment in our committee rooms. I do not want members to go in and out of the room as they check and send messages. When we are here, we are here and we should stay together. The minutes of the meeting of 25 September last have been circulated. Are there any matters arising? Are the minutes agreed? Aontaithe.
No. 2 is correspondence from Ms Bertha McDougall and Ms Patricia MacBride of the Commission for Victims and Survivors thanking the Chairman for the invitation to attend the recent committee meeting. Ms McDougall will send the committee the commission's work programme as soon as it is agreed by the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. It is proposed to note this correspondence. Is that agreed? Agreed.
No. 3 is a letter from Lady Sylvia Hermon, MP, to the clerk to the committee expressing her gratitude for the committee's expression of sympathy on the recent death of her father, Mr. Samuel Robert Paisley, RIP, ar dheis lámh Dé go raibh a anam. Is it agreed to note this correspondence? Agreed.
I welcome our colleagues, Mr. Pat Doherty, MP, MLA, and Dr. Alasdair McDonnell, MP, MLA.